Means Of Survival
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Back in a time before Dust, when Grimm ravaged the planet, mankind struggled to thrive. But eventually, after many years of living in fear, they learned how to fight back. In such a world, two young huntresses realize their own mortality, and are forced to make life-changing decisions in the heat of the moment.


**A really neat AU and idea commissioned by the-money-dog! I tried to add in all the notes and details they described to me in order to set up the world-building before getting into the main plot of this particular fic!**

 **If you like my work, please consider supporting me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Means Of Survival

It was a time when mankind lived in shadows and in fear.

Their only light was the spark of flame, which also served to be their main source of heat.

Their houses were humble, made of wood, and just barely able to withstand the most hazardous of weather conditions. They were the kind of houses that rattled in strong winds and were prone to destruction should even the smallest tree fall and strike the roof.

If their fires died in the middle of a winter night, the people risked freezing to death without ever knowing what happened. Their clothes were ragged and tattered, made of the frays of animal skins and fur pelts of the beasts they hunted for sustenance.

The deer they hunted would provide meat for several people for several days. The horns and hooves were used to forge weapons, and the skins were used to help keep the people warm at night.

However, it wasn't often they were fortunate enough to dine on meat. Their diets mainly consisted of herbs and plants during months when it didn't snow. The deer they hunted were becoming scarcer and scarcer to find.

And at times, so were the people themselves.

Numbers always dwindled after a long, hard winter. People died easily and frequently in this world, if not by accident or circumstance, then by taking their own lives.

But by far, the most common cause of death in the human and Faunus population in this world were the creatures of Grimm.

No one knew where they came from, or how their existence came about. But it was believed that they were bred by the human emotions of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. And living in a lightless world such as this, those emotions were all too common.

Grimm were responsible for the declining numbers of animals the humans hunted for food. The Grimm never ate the deer and rabbits, but simply slaughtered them. It was believed they did this simply to rid the humans of their food supplies.

They killed humans as well, any chance they got. In fact, that seemed to be their main objective. To eradicate their own supposed creators.

For a time, the humans and Faunus were helpless against their enemies. There was nowhere to run, and few places to hide.

The people would try to keep traveling in hopes that one day they might stumble upon a land where Grimm didn't exist. But they had yet to find such a land.

The Grimm followed them wherever they went, drawn to the human emotions of terror and despair. The beasts would invade their tiny, tragic villages and rampage, slaughtering dozens of people at a time.

The peoples' current society had been built upon the bloodied soil and remains of their ancestors. They honored those fallen lineages every day.

But the people who lived here now weren't quite so helpless anymore.

Over the centuries, they had discovered new things. They considered how they used one stag's antlers to create arrows in order to shoot the next one, and eventually attempted to use these weapons to kill the Grimm as well.

They started using the antlers of deer, and the bones of whatever animals they could find. They cut the bark off of trees and sharpened it, and used rocks against other rocks to toughen them.

Perhaps the most beneficial element they had discovered was iron. They began mining it to a degree, using it to reenforce their rickety houses, melting it over fires in order to forge sturdier weapons. They created tougher hides to cover their skin, and even would melt down iron and bone to create a crude form of armor.

Eventually, the people started fighting back.

Many perished before they managed to kill their very first Grimm as a society. It was a momentous occasion, and an unforgettable day in their dark, unimpressive history. It brought the humans and Faunus something new, something they'd never experienced before.

Hope.

Now they knew it was _possible_ to fight back against their cruel, helpless fate.

Now they knew it was _possible_ to kill the Grimm and defend themselves, rather than keep running for the rest of their lives.

Of course, people were so empowered and excited about this new development in their history, that many recklessly went out, believing they could easily kill more of the Grimm. However, their pride and conceitedness were their downfall, in almost every such case.

It became evident that about ten human and Faunus lives were required in order to bring down a single Grimm.

So the people began to train themselves and one another. At the very least, they wanted to keep killing the Grimm, but get their own numbers of sacrifice down to the lowest number possible.

For the purpose of survival, and to allow their future generations to flourish in a world that was a little less dangerous, mankind began to rebel against their assigned fate.

They broke their societies down into different groups of people. The youngest, strongest persons with the most physical strength and speed were trained on how to fight the creatures of Grimm. They became known as the knights and defenders of the human and Faunus races.

People who demonstrated a high level of intelligence and problem-solving skills were trained to be map-makers. The quickest of the quick were trained to be messengers. Each map-maker was coupled with a messenger, and they worked together in order to help further their society.

The job of a messenger was to relay information and news to other villages and towns within a quickly and timely manner. Sometimes, the people were able to spare a horse for their messengers, but for the most part, the horses were used for labor purposes, and messengers were sent on-foot.

They were oftentimes quick enough to run from the Grimm if they encountered any, and as such, would make note of the land and otherwise-unexplored areas. This information, they would relay back to the map-makers, and together they would create extensive maps of the world as they knew it.

These maps told of all the areas where Grimm populations were highest and lowest, and therefore, urged people to make informed decisions about where to live and forage based off that information. Map-makers in one village communicated with map-makers of other villages through notes and scribbles left on the parchment delivered by the messengers.

In this way, the people strove to make maps that even those who lived miles away could utilize. Maps were updated frequently, and as such, new versions had to be distributed to the huntsmen and the citizens whenever possible.

In addition to map-makers, messengers, and huntsmen, there were also people who received the crucial job of herb collecting.

Herbs were a very significant factor in mankind's societies during these times. Not only were many plants edible and the main source of nutrition when the deer were hard to find, but they also were sought after for their medicinal values.

The huntsmen who were lucky enough to escape the claws of Grimm always needed treatment for dire wounds, and the herb collectors served as healers in those cases. They had saved many lives with their extensive knowledge of the various kinds and usages of plants.

Certainly, mankind's society had come a long way since before the time when they had fire.

But there was still a long way to go, and they were determined to struggle and survive in order to see a better future.

* * *

The village of Vale was perhaps one of the largest ones on the maps.

Atlas' village was also quite large, while Mistral and Vacuo covered smaller neighboring portions.

Most peoples' goal was to get to the Village of Atlas. Years' worth of tracking and recording the movements and tendencies of the Grimm had proven that Atlas existed in the area least-likely to be affected by Grimm activity.

No one really knew why for certain. Perhaps it had something to do with the land or the elevation, or perhaps it was entirely arbitrary. But people knew that Atlas was the safest place to be, with advancing technology that provided its people with much more secure homes and properties.

However, the journey to Atlas' village was a long and arduous one from any of the other three villages. Most people perished on the way there, either by Grimm, poor weather conditions, illness, starvation, or any number of other unfortunate circumstances.

The luckiest of people were those who were born in Atlas.

But the other villages took a bit of pride in their more risky lifestyles. Particularly in the Village of Vale, the people were proud of the work they toiled through every single day. They earned their survival, should they live to see another day. And if they were to perish, then they did so with honor.

But even despite this mindset, they all still sought to make it to Atlas one day, where they may find a period of rest, even if only for a short while.

But until then, the huntsmen and huntresses of the Village of Vale would continue to fight, die, and survive as they had always been known to do.

* * *

A girl with long, crimson hair and emerald eyes woke beside the fire that morning, as she always did. Her aging parents were still asleep on the other side, and Pyrrha didn't want to rouse them. She took her pelts along with her, keeping them wrapped around her shoulders as she stood and headed for the food storage room.

There wasn't much there, especially now, being it was winter time. She'd have to go out and try to make another kill today.

She didn't want to eat more than she had to, but as the only huntress in her family, she knew she needed to eat enough in order to be able to keep up her strength while trekking through the forests. She ate a bit of leftover meat and a frozen vegetable she herself had scavenged only yesterday. Those and a handful of nuts served as her meal before she left the storage room and went to put on her fighting clothes.

The sunlight streaming in through the small windows this morning was grey and dull, so Pyrrha relied heavily upon the orange crackle of the dwindling fire. She checked the stock pile, relieved to find there was plenty of wood left – one less thing for her to worry about for now.

She slipped into her top-piece, which was embroidered with bits and pieces of the bones of Grimm she had killed. The same was true for her skirt and weapons.

Her shield, which she had forged with the help of the local blacksmith, had been made out of the skull of a Goliath Grimm.

That had been the kill that had made Pyrrha famous.

It was unheard of that a single huntsman or huntress could take down a Giant Grimm by themselves. A Beowulf or Boarbatusk, perhaps, but never a Goliath.

Pyrrha always insisted she'd merely gotten lucky, and that it had been a rather small one. But nonetheless, the people of all the villages now knew her as a champion.

She'd used the skull of that beast for her shield, and the tusks of it to reenforce her spear. They were sturdier than the bones of the Nevermore and the wolves she'd used in the past. But just in case her current weapon broke or was damaged, there was a bone pile in the corner of the house that she added to as often as possible.

Before using Grimm bones, they'd used the bones of the animals they hunted. But the monsters' bones were twice as durable, not to mention quite large.

Pyrrha glanced over to a small jutting of rock and stone inside the hut, where the skull of a Giant Nevermore rested. This had been another one of her kills, but she hadn't done it alone.

She'd lost her mentor to that Grimm before she'd been able to kill it. On that day, she'd sworn that she would continue to kill the beasts until there wasn't a single one left. And she'd vowed to protect her friends no matter what, so that she'd never have to watch anyone die ever again.

At present, she left her parents there to sleep, but not before crouching down to kiss them each in turn. She knew all too well that any day in this line of work could be her last.

With that, Pyrrha picked up her weapons and headed outside.

The snow-dusted village was already beginning to bustle with activity. Hunting groups were being formed and preparing to set out to try and track down the last of the deer before the sun became too bright. If they didn't find any deer, the people would be living another day off of squirrels and rabbits.

Pyrrha longed to join the hunting party, but she had other duties today.

She headed off to join a much smaller group. Only one other person was there.

Nora was one of their top huntresses. She had brute strength that was almost uncanny, and wielded an iron hammer-like weapon that, when aimed correctly, could crush the skull of almost any Grimm.

She wore clothes similar to Pyrrha's with one glaring difference.

Nora adorned the hide and skull of an Ursa on her back. She'd killed that one with Pyrrha's help, and on account of it being rather large, she'd opted to keep the mementos for herself.

The black hide helped keep her warm, and when she pulled the skull up over her face, she could blend in very well, and even appear to be a Grimm herself.

Despite the conditions of the village, even in the wintertime, Nora always seemed to have plenty of energy. She too, was fueled by a desire to kill as many monsters as possible and help her friends survive.

Now, when she spotted Pyrrha, Nora turned with a sparkle in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Pyrrha! _There's_ my partner!" She hurried over and threw one arm around Pyrrha. "You ready for today?"

"Good morning, Nora," Pyrrha chuckled and put an arm around her as well, though she tried not to bump her with the shield in the process. "I'm ready for sure! Are you?"

"Heck yes! Let's do this! Those herbs aren't gonna collect themselves!"

"Right!"

Usually, when they went out, it was to hunt for food. They'd have to travel in large groups of huntsmen and huntresses, people who could hunt and kill deer, and Grimm if necessary.

Their main objective was never to hunt for or engage the Grimm if they could avoid it; doing so was essentially suicide. But hunting groups that tracked deer needed to be large and composed of trained fighters in case a Grimm was encountered and a fight was unavoidable.

Typically, Pyrrha and Nora would go out hunting with their other companions, whichever other huntsmen and huntresses were available that day.

But today, their job was herb collecting, which only required two people or more, at least one of which needed to be a huntsman.

Presently, Pyrrha and Nora set out together through the snowy forest. Pyrrha pulled out the most recent map and opened it.

"Here. Ruby just ran this to me a few days ago. She said Weiss is confident that everything about this map is highly accurate. They both worked very hard to get the layout and the information right."

Weiss was the village's top map-maker, and Ruby was her messenger. They worked together with Jaune and Ren, another pair in those respective fields, in order to create the most accurate maps possible for the huntsmen and huntresses.

Nora peered over the map, noting the areas marked with blotches of black ink, which indicated high rates of Grimm activity.

"Hmm okay... so looks like we should be heading... east?"

"That would seem best," Pyrrha agreed. "Though we _will_ have to be careful if we get near the mountains. There's a Grimm nest marked there."

Different shapes of the ink blotches were identified on the side of the map by a key. The largest splotches indicated larger Grimm like Goliaths, while medium-sized ones signified Ursai, and the smallest were wolves and boars.

The ones marked nearest their path were long and slender, and Pyrrha knew right away that indicated Taijitu.

Of all the known Grimm, Taijitu were probably the second-hardest to deal with after Nevermores. The birds' ability to fly made their habits and patterns entirely un-trackable and unpredictable.

But the snakes were masters at ambush and keeping hidden, and they were fast despite their size. Goliaths and Ursai could be outrun or outsmarted, and even Beowulves could be taken down if there were enough people facing them.

But the snakes were difficult indeed, especially considering their two heads, which allowed them to see almost everything. One drop of poison from those fangs could kill a strong huntsman within minutes.

But the medicinal herbs they were trying to collect today grew in an area nearby, and with winter already underway, they needed to collect as many of the plants as possible before the frost killed them completely.

The two girls set a slow pace through the forest, keeping their senses on high alert. No matter what the maps said, it was best to always be cautious and alert, regardless of where they were. At the very least, the snow allowed them to see the black hides of Grimm much more easily so an ambush was less likely.

As they walked, Pyrrha and Nora encountered no problems.

Pyrrha had to take some time to appreciate this.

She and Nora were best friends, and had been partners for a long time now. They were almost always out hunting together, and many times, they'd found themselves up against Grimm.

But today was different. It was one of the first times they had been assigned herb collection duties together. It required no tracking skills, no insanely high stakes, and not as much pressure as hunting deer for an entire village entailed.

Of course, they wanted to find and bring back some essential plants. But no one would blame them if they couldn't find any at this time of year.

It was midday by the time they reached a clearing near the mountainside, a clearing where small bushels of plants were still peeking above the snow. Pyrrha recognized the herbs immediately, but checked the surrounding area before making a move.

"We're clear. Let's go."

With a nod, Nora followed her lead.

They scoured the clearing, but found only animal tracks, nothing that resembled the markings of Grimm. That eased their nerves, and allowed them to begin their task with confidence.

Pyrrha began plucking stalks of a certain plant that could be boiled into a flavorful soup. She tucked the stalks into her belt for safekeeping, taking as many as she could.

Nearby, Nora was doing the same, but there was a huff in her voice.

"Man, why did we get stuck doing this again?" she complained. "It's so boring... What about Blake and Yang?"

"They're visiting the other villages to share information about different plants," Pyrrha reminded her. "And where's this coming from all of a sudden? You seemed rather excited for this earlier."

"Well, that's mainly because I was gonna be with you," she grinned. "But the work itself is a snore-fest."

"That may be," Pyrrha acknowledged. "But it's necessary."

"I know, I know..."

"Come on," Pyrrha chuckled. "Let's just grab a few more and then we can-"

She cut off in an instant, and her carefree expression suddenly turned serious.

Nora knew that could only mean trouble. She froze too, shutting her mouth and reaching slowly for her hammer.

Pyrrha took her spear and adjusted her hold on her shield.

For a moment, they both refrained from breathing as they listened to the silence. There was no sound, only a rush of air through the naked trees, rattling the icicles there. But the wind here seemed to never stop.

There was another sound, one that resembled the breeze, but was lower to the ground.

Because it wasn't the wind at all.

It was the sound of scales sliding through the snow.

Immediately, the two girls tried to determine where the Taijitu might be. Pyrrha indicated an area behind herself, but Nora did the same. That meant that either there was one big enough to be surrounding both of them at the same time, or worse; there was more than one.

Pyrrha could see one of the bodies now, a black half moving through the shadowy bushes behind her partner. Likewise, Nora spotted a white half behind Pyrrha, almost completely camouflaged in the snow.

It was still stalking them. It still thought it could surprise them.

There was a saying the fighters used: "Run and hide, or fight and die."

Escape was their best option and main priority now, but if they had to engage, they'd do it together. That was what they'd promised one another when they'd first become partners so many years ago. That they'd live together, or die together.

Right now, they were hoping for the former.

The snakes hadn't revealed themselves yet, but it was surely only a matter of time.

Pyrrha scanned the area for an escape route of some kind, but the only thing she saw was a small cave carved into the side of the mountain. There was a boulder covering a good portion of the entrance, so it would make a good spot for the both of them to hide. But if the snakes were able to move that boulder somehow, it'd be over.

However, it was a better option than trying to run across an open clearing with the longest, quickest Grimm on their heels, or staying to fight.

Pyrrha caught Nora's eye and nodded to the cave.

Nora understood right away.

She waited for Pyrrha's signal, intending to start running together with her.

But just before Pyrrha could give the cue, the bushes exploded.

Four massive, hissing heads towered high above them, swaying and spitting before striking down. Pyrrha and Nora dodged the fangs just barely as snow flew up all around them.

" _Run!_ "

Pyrrha's shout was all but drowned out by the deafening sounds of the ambush.

The two girls tore off toward the cave without looking back. The Taijitu reacted within seconds and lunged after them.

Nora glanced over her shoulder as she pelted for the cave. The nearest head was just a few feet away from Pyrrha. She watched it rear back and prepare to lunge again.

Nora timed her actions perfectly. Just as the snake shot down, she jumped and raised her hammer, smashing it down atop the snake's head. There was a satisfying crack that rang out, one she could feel through her arms as the head began to bleed out into the snow.

She didn't stop to soak in her victory, though. She turned and started to run again, only to find that her hammer was wedged into the skull of the snake.

"No, no, no! Come on!"

She tugged and yanked with all her might, but there wasn't enough time to pull her weapon out. The other enraged heads were upon her now, and she had no choice but to abandon her weapon and run.

And of course, Pyrrha returned the favor.

Just as the other three snakes were nearing her partner, Pyrrha turned back and charged at them. She threw herself in front of Nora and deflected a bite with her shield, forcing one of the Grimm back.

"Nora, go!" she shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

"What? No way!" Nora barked. "If we're staying, we're staying together!"

"You don't have a weapon!"

"And you'll die against three of these things!" Nora screamed. "Either we stay and fight and we die together, or we run and live together! You _promised!_ "

Pyrrha stabbed her spear up at another one of the snakes and caused it to veer away momentarily. She grit her teeth, but caught Nora's gaze for just a second. There were tears in her eyes.

She was right. Pyrrha had made that promise.

With a quick nod, she gave a shove to Nora's back.

"Go. I'm right behind you."

She gave one final slash to hold off the next snake that lunged, then tore off after her partner, bound for the cave.

Skidding and sliding in the snow, they tried to swerve as they went to avoid the fangs snapping at their heels.

But after a climb up a small hill and then a jump down the other side, they managed to reach the outcropping of rocks.

Nora paused at the entrance and looked back, refusing to enter until Pyrrha was right there beside her. As soon as she was, they both ducked inside just as one of the black heads came spewing toward them, missing Pyrrha's hair by inches.

The two girls clambered inside the cave as the Grimm outside hissed and bumbled about in frustration. The opening was too small for the beasts to be able to get inside, and they weren't intelligent enough to purposefully move the boulder.

Nora and Pyrrha collapsed against the far wall, which wasn't terribly far away from the entrance. It was a very small cave, and luckily it wasn't occupied by anything else.

Panting, the two girls slid down the wall and slumped onto one another as they caught their breath. As soon as Pyrrha had, she voiced her concerns.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah... peachy," Nora grinned. "What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"Barely," Nora muttered.

"Pardon?" Pyrrha tilted her head and gave her a curious look.

Nora hadn't meant to say that out loud. She bit her lip and turned her face away.

"Nothing. I just meant that... you almost died out there."

"Well, so did you," Pyrrha reminded her. "We both did."

"Yeah, but mine was an _accident!_ " Nora snapped, rounding on her. "You were _willing_ to sacrifice yourself, Pyrrha! That's not how we do things!"

Pyrrha was taken aback. She'd never heard Nora get so upset before – not like this, not enough to all but yell at her. Pyrrha got a little defensive.

"I was only trying to buy you some time."

"Yeah, by offering yourself to the Grimm!"

"I wasn't planning to lay down and _die_. I was going to fight."

"But the results would've been the same either way!"

Pyrrha didn't have a response that time.

Nora's eyes were narrowed in the darkness, but Pyrrha could see a shimmer in them. Tears had welled up, and soon, her shoulders began to shake. Pyrrha recoiled and lowered her voice.

"You're... You're right..." She looked away from Nora's emotional expression, casting her gaze back to the entrance of the cave. The snakes had grown quiet, but were still slithering about. Pyrrha swallowed tightly.

"When we first started fighting together, we made a promise. That'd we'd die together or we'd live together. And I almost broke that promise to you today. I was being selfish. I'm sorry, Nora."

Pyrrha turned back to her and pulled her into an embrace. Nora sniffled and hugged her back firmly.

"It's okay... Just don't forget that again."

"I won't..."

They were silent for a few moments, huddled in each other's arms in that cold, dark cave with the beasts lurking just outside.

Nora did her best to stifle her sobs. Pyrrha brushed her fingers through her hair and tried to soothe her.

"It's all right. You don't have to cry, Nora."

"Yes I do... dummy..." she mumbled. "I almost lost you today, Pyrrha. I could _still_ lose you... And I don't ever wanna lose anyone ever again, but... but _especially_ not you..." Her arms clung tighter to her partner as she spilled her heart out all at once. "I... I love you, Pyrrha..."

Slowly, she pulled away and looked up into her partner's eyes. "I... I could've lost you today without ever telling you that... so I'm telling you right now. I love you, Pyrrha..."

Her cheeks were darkened with a blush, and it was even noticeable in this horrid lighting.

Pyrrha was at a loss as she gazed down at her best friend, and her partner of several years.

She had seen Nora cry before as well, but not like this.

She was scared and happy at the same time. She was nervous and elated. It lifted a weight and settled a new one onto her shoulders simultaneously.

Pyrrha couldn't respond right away. She kept her arms on Nora's shoulders and curled her fingers into the fabrics of her clothes. When she did finally reply, there was a wobble in her voice, too.

"I'm such a fool..."

Nora sniffled again.

"Pyrrha...?"

"I'm a _fool_ ," she repeated. "I almost... I almost died without you today. And I didn't realize what that meant. Not only would I have been breaking our promise, but... I never would've gotten to hear you say that. And I never would've gotten to do this..."

Slowly, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against Nora's cheek. She left a small, sweet kiss behind, one that was as warm as Nora's cheeks already were.

Nora gasped softly as more tears welled up. Pyrrha's own tears started dripping down at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Nora. I'm sorry I was such a fool. It won't happen again."

Nora dipped her head, then threw her arms back around Pyrrha, sobbing softly. Pyrrha cried over her shoulder, gritting her teeth.

"All this time... all the years we've spent together... could end in a single second... and I almost let that second happen today... and for what? So I could die and let you live a while longer? So you could live without me, feeling miserable and wretched and alone? I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," Nora comforted her. "Because you didn't let it happen, Pyrrha."

"No," she corrected her, easing back. " _You_ didn't let it happen. _You_ stopped me. Thank you, Nora."

By now, the world outside had grown still and quiet once again. The Grimm were gone.

Pyrrha reached out to wipe some of her partner's tears, then took both of her hands and helped Nora to her feet.

"We... almost died today," she murmured. "What's worse, _one_ of us almost died, and the other almost survived. And it almost happened before we could realize _this_... I've been missing out on being in love with you all this time..." Pyrrha shook her head in disbelief. "In this world... where anyone we know can be dead tomorrow, or even by sundown... and I missed out on so much time with you..."

"Not just you," Nora reminded her. "I should have said something sooner, rather than wait for such a dire situation to come up. I should've told you sooner..."

"It doesn't matter," Pyrrha smiled. "Because you've told me now, and we're both still here. And I'd like to continue being here, with you."

Dipping down, she kissed Nora's cheek again. This time, Nora kissed her back.

They shared a soft giggle together, their hands sliding down each other's shoulders until their fingers could entwine.

"I'm sorry it took so long for this to come up..." Pyrrha sighed. "But I don't intend to let it go to waste anymore. We're going to make the most of the rest of our lives."

"However long or short that may be!" Nora put in.

"Exactly!" Pyrrha smiled. "Though I'm hoping for longer."

"Yeah, longer would be nice!" Nora sighed. "Maybe one day we'll make it to Atlas."

"Maybe," she affirmed. "We'll just have to keep living to fight another day so we can find out. And there's no one else I'd rather fight with, die with, or live with."

"Me neither."

This time, it was Nora who jumped up and looped her arms around Pyrrha's neck, pulling her down so their mouths could bump together.

Pyrrha kissed back with vigor, as excitement swirled up around her heart. Her grip on Nora's hand tightened as their kiss came to an end.

They wiped each other's tears away before turning to the cave's entrance, and the light beyond.

Hand-in-hand, they moved toward it together.

All this time, they'd just been surviving.

Now, it was time to start living.

* * *

 **A/N: Almost all of the notes of world-building for this AU were created by the customer! I think it's a really interesting AU for sure! It's set loooong before the canon series, and the people are much more primitive. The Grimm also don't dissipate when they die, which is why the people can use their bones.**

 **For now, this story and AU are finished! But maybe in the future it will continue, or explore other characters!**

 **If you like my work, please consider supporting me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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